New Clothes for Matt

Wow, the summer has flown by. I had no idea it had been a few months since I posted anything here.

Went and bought a couple new pairs of pants today.  Most of my pants don't fit right anymore. I would have been at this point sooner but I had a goofy idea previously that I could keep getting the same size pants but wear them a little lower it was ok. So, for a while I shrunk down so I could wear the pants with the waist at the correct place. The downside to wearing the pants with the waist at the correct place is it makes them an inch or so too short. So today I broke down and bought a new pair of jeans and a pair of chinos. It's a nice feeling to buy smaller pants for the first time ever.

The weight loss has really slowed down. Diet fatigue has kicked in, I'm tired of not drinking beer mostly. Also miss pizza a little. The Myoplex drinks for breakfast I still like, I really think I'm more alert in the AM because of them.

One odd thing about the Myoplex is how Amazon prices them. Since April I have bought around ten 12-packs of the drinks from Amazon using their "Subscribe & Save" plan. The cost for the dozen has varied wildly, from a low of $31 up to as much as $39. The ones I bought this week were $33. To put this in a little perspective, a four pack in a grocery store is $14+tax.

I'd like to get to 150 lbs or so by the time I go to Vegas in December. Mainly so I can go on a major binge while I am there. We already have a reservation for Jaleo, and I'm sure we'll hit Bouchon as well. One of these trips I'm going try the Wynn buffet.

I've had some health (injury) issues which have reduced how much I have been running, but I got the ok last week to exercise all I want. Might run a half marathon in November, depending on how I feel in a month.

Weight 9/12/11: 162.5 lbs

Starting Weight: 181.8 lbs

Losing the Freshman 15

Well, I had no idea I hadn't posted in a month. Frustration is my excuse. The past month the weight loss has really slowed down. I guess it was just a matter of time before I hit the plateau, I had three very frustrating weeks of bouncing around with no real progress.

The last week has been better, now I know I need more exercise to go with the diet thing going forward. Someone at work who hadn't seen me in a while noticed I am less fat than before, which felt pretty good. 

I originally thought that 160 lbs would be ok, but now I know that is just the end of phase 1. I think I am going to get a personal trainer when I get to 160 so I can gain some muscle.  My upper body is like your average 70 year old and I want to change that at least a little.

The other positive right now is I my running a lot faster than I could before. Back in May, I couldn't run faster than 10 minutes a mile. Today I averaged a little under 9 minutes a mile over a 5k, and ran the 2nd mile in 8:23. This makes me feel better than the weight loss, although I know it is all related. I ran my last "competitive" 5k in 28:30 in mid June, I want to run the next one under 27 minutes. I'm not old, dammit! :) I am aiming for the Miami half marathon in January of 2012.

I, at times, can get down on myself pretty easily. It's why I'm never going to be a great poker player. The last ten weeks have been one of the most positive things, on a personal level, I have ever done. I know it sounds kind of pathetic, but I had no idea I could actually do this. I'm 2/3 of the way to my initial goal and it may take a while, but I now know I can do it.

One other thing I have learned is don't buy EAS Myoplex if it's within six months of the expiration date. I got some from Amazon with a 11/2011 expiration date, and they are much "gummier" than the newer drinks they have sent me. If the next dozen cans they send me are the same age, I'm going to complain to Amazon & EAS. I'm not paying $3 a shake for really old stock.

Starting Weight: 181.8 lbs

Weight 7/6/11: 167.6 lbs

I know, it's 14 not 15, but I swear I was 1 lb lighter yesterday :) 

Half Way

Well, much to my amazement, I hit the halfway point to my (first) goal this morning. I'm now down 11 pounds. I'm aiming for 160 lbs, and hopefully I'll be there by the end of July. Until the last few days I wasn't sure I could do it. This week has made me much more confident.

I'm starting to think about stage 2. Either I'm going to go for 150 lbs or I'm going to try the personal trainer thing and gain some muscle. If you've seen me you know my upper body is basically muscle free at this point.

We'll see where I am in August. It looks like I'll be on a short vacation in NYC at the end of July, hopefully I won't backslide too far while I'm there.

I've run a total of seven miles this week. I'm starting to think about running a half marathon somewhere next spring. I know if I get the running in I can do it. This is where my muscle-free body helps :)

Starting Weight: 181.8 lbs

Weight 6/2/11: 170.6 lbs

Obsession (or the Texas Steak)

I had a very weird dream last night.

I was at a TGI Friday's like restaurant with some friends. I was in a panic because everything on the menu was either on bun with fries, breaded and deep fried or pasta. The only exception was a $34.95 steak. What was odd was the steak was shaped like the state of Texas. Not sure why I clearly remember the price but I do. So I had to choose between something off the plan of or the really expensive Texas steak. I remember trying to get the steak but the waitresses wouldn't listen to me for long enough to get my order.

It was all very weird.

I was talking to a friend of mine here at work last week about scales & weighing in. She's in her late 20s and the only reason I brought it up with her is she's in very good shape & has some fitness gadgets. I was telling her about the Withings scale and my daily weigh-in routine & she told me that some of her friends weigh themselves multiple times per day. I know that what I do probably is frowned upon by weight loss people, but obsessing about your weight like that is crazy.

On the other hand, I kind of get it. The past two weeks my weight has been bouncing around and it is frustrating. I can see how someone could freak out after a couple bad days and decide that since they haven't lost weight in three days, they've been eating too much and begin starving themselves. Skip a meal, then weigh yourself a few hours later to prove you did the right thing. A vicious cycle can start very easily with that mentality. I've been annoyed the past two weeks that I haven't made a new low weight. I can see how that frustration turns into doing desperate things.

I know that my lack of progress is mostly due to going on vacation and eating and drinking whatever I wanted, including lots of beer, bread and other things not on the plan. It was worth it, but it pretty much killed the chances of making my goal for the end of May. 

My goal for June 30 is 165 lbs. I think it's 50:50 if I can pull it off. The weather is finally warm enough to run outside (I'm a cold weather wuss) so that should help.

Starting Weight: 181.8 lbs

Weight 5/24/11: 174.8 lbs

Lost in the Supermarket

On the plan, the supermarket is a very different place. Most of the aisles are no-eat zones. Cookies & crackers - no. Cereal, bread & juice - no. All chips - no. Ice cream - no. It's like opting out of the industrial food system.

At the 'regular' grocery store, all we buy is paper goods and some vegetables. I haven't touched grocery store meat in years & I'm not starting now.

The Whole Foods is a little better. I somewhat trust the meat there, but still, half the store is off limits. The beer fridge mocks me every time I walk by.

As I've said before, lunch is a big PITA. This week I had two Chipotle bowls, two omelets and a salad. I have to find more lunch options. I have a feeling I'm going to be eating lunch at nicer places to get some variety. If anything is going to drive me off the diet, it's lunch.

Starting Weight: 181.8 lbs

Weight 5/6/11: 174.2 lbs

Tomorrow it's cheat day, which includes working in the morning, a Cubs game with hotdogs and beer at noon and then some good unhealthy Mexican food for dinner.

I also suggest placing a bet on Master of Hounds in the Kentucky Derby. I like him & Nehro.